Ideally your car’s brakes don’t have much to say and do their job well, right? Unfortunately, there are a few different situations that can cause your brakes to be noisier than usual. Some of those situations are normal, but others require a closer look. Here’s information from Gulf Breeze Automotive to help you to understand what’s going on with your car’s brakes.
Brake Pad Wear Tabs
During their lifespan, brake pads gradually wear down. That’s how they’re supposed to work. Brake pad manufacturers include a tiny metal tab, called the wear tab, at a specific spot in the brake pad. When the pad wears down to that point, you’re going to hear the tab scraping against the rotor. The noise is designed to get you to take your car in to have the brakes inspected and the brake pads replaced.
Brake Pad Glazing
Another common noise you might hear is glazing on the brake pads. This is a glass-like coating that forms on the brake pad due to heat. When the brakes get too hot, a layer of glazing can form. As the glazed parts of the pad come in contact with the brake rotor, that causes noises that can sound alarming to you. Most of the time, glazing is rather thin and wears off the brake pad quickly, so the sound should fade.
Moisture on the Brake Parts
Your brakes are exposed to the elements, of course, so that means that water has an impact on how the brakes work and sometimes on how they sound. Water on brake pads and rotors can cause a thin layer of rust to form that causes noise as it scrapes away. Water on other parts of your brake system can also cause rust and may even cause damage. You might hear groans and grinding sounds from this.
Damaged Brake Parts
If parts of your brake system are damaged, you will probably hear that when you try to use the brakes. That damage can be anywhere in the brake system. Clunking, grinding, and other sounds that are unusual are not sounds you should ignore. Any unusual sounds should be inspected right away to determine what’s going on with your brakes.
Don’t take chances with your car’s brakes. Give us a call at Gulf Breeze Automotive in Gulf Breeze, FL to inspect your brakes for you. We’ll thoroughly diagnose the issue and let you know what’s causing your brakes to be noisy.